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Should you have a colonoscopy after age 75?
When should you get a colonoscopy?
How often do you need a colonoscopy?
The American Cancer Society recommends starting regular colorectal cancer screening at age 45 for people at average risk. For people at increased or high risk, screening might start earlier, be more frequent, or use different tests.
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- Overview
- Who needs to get a colonoscopy?
- When should you get a first colonoscopy?
- When should you get a colonoscopy with a family history of cancer?
- How often should you have a colonoscopy after polyp removal?
- How often should you have a colonoscopy with diverticulosis?
- How often should you have a colonoscopy with ulcerative colitis?
- How often should you have a colonoscopy after age 50, 60, and older?
- Colonoscopy risks and side effects
- Takeaway
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Everyone needs to have at least one colonoscopy by age 50. How often you need them or if you need one earlier depends on many factors, such as your age, other risk factors, and other conditions.
A colonoscopy is done by sending a narrow, bendable tube with a camera on the end into your lower bowels to look for abnormalities in your colon, or large intestine.
It’s the primary method of testing for colorectal cancer. The procedure can also be used to remove small pieces of tissue to send to a lab for analysis. This is done in case your doctor suspects that tissue is diseased or cancerous.
Who needs a colonoscopy, when should you start getting them, and how often do you need to get a colonoscopy based on your health? We cover that in this article.
By age 50, you should start getting a colonoscopy every 10 years, no matter your gender or overall health.
As you age, your risk of developing polyps and bowel cancer increases. Getting routine colonoscopies helps your doctor find abnormalities early so they can be quickly treated.
You should consider getting colonoscopies earlier in your life if you have a family history of bowel cancer, or, if you have any previously diagnosed conditions that affect your digestive tract, including:
•irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
•inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
•colorectal polyps
It’s recommended that you get your first colonoscopy at age 50 if you’re in good overall health and you don’t have a family history of bowel disease.
This recommendation may be lowered to 40 or below with the new set of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines being drafted by experts.
Get a colonoscopy as often as a doctor recommends if you have a diagnosis of a bowel condition like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. This can help ensure that your bowels stay healthy and complications are treated as soon as possible.
Ask your doctor about having a colonoscopy during one of your physical exams if you’re over age 50 or have a bowel condition.
There’s no such thing as too early for a colonoscopy if your family has a history of bowel cancer.
The American Cancer Society recommends that you should start getting regular colonoscopies when you turn 45 if you’re at average risk for cancer. The numbers for average risk is about 1 in 22 for men and 1 in 24 for women.
You may need to start earlier if you’re at high risk, or if you have a previous bowel cancer diagnosis. Anecdotally, some doctors recommend getting screened as young as 35 if a parent was previously diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
An important note: Without a cancer diagnosis, some insurance companies can limit how often you can get screened. If you’re screened at 35, you may not be covered for another screening until you’re 40 or 45. Research your own coverage.
Polyps are tiny growths of excess tissue in your colon. Most are harmless and can be removed easily. Polyps known as adenomas are more likely to become cancerous and should be removed.
Polyp removal surgery is called polypectomy. This procedure can be done during your colonoscopy if your doctor finds one.
You’ll probably need a colonoscopy every 5 to 8 years if you have diverticulosis.
Your doctor will let you know how often you need a colonoscopy if you have diverticulosis depending on the severity of your symptoms.
Your doctor may recommend that you have a colonoscopy every 2 to 5 years if you have ulcerative colitis.
Your cancer risk increases about 8 to 10 years after diagnosis, so regular colonoscopies are key.
Most people should get a colonoscopy at least once every 10 years after they turn 50. You may need to get one every 5 years after you turn 60 if your risk of cancer increases.
Once you turn 75 (or 80, in some cases), a doctor may recommend that you no longer get colonoscopies. The risk of complications can outweigh the benefits of this routine check as you get older.
Colonoscopies are considered mostly safe and noninvasive.
There are still some risks. Most of the time, the risk is outweighed by the benefit of identifying and treating cancer or other bowel diseases.
Here are some risks and side effects:
•intense pain in your abdomen
•internal bleeding from an area where tissue or a polyp was removed
•tear, perforation, or injury to the colon or the rectum (this is very rare, happening in less than 0.002 percent of colonoscopies)
If your health is generally good, you’ll only need a colonoscopy once every 10 years after you turn 50. The frequency increases with various factors.
Talk to a doctor about getting a colonoscopy earlier than 50 if you have a family history of bowel conditions, are at higher risk for developing colon cancer, or have previously had polyps or colon cancer.
Learn when you should get your first colonoscopy and how often you need them based on your age, family history, and other conditions. Find out the benefits, risks, and alternatives of this bowel cancer screening test.
Jun 6, 2023 · Learn when you should get your first colonoscopy based on your risk factors and age. Find out how to prepare for the procedure and what to expect after age 75.
Feb 28, 2024 · If you're age 45 or older and at average risk of colon cancer — you have no colon cancer risk factors other than age — your doctor may recommend a colonoscopy every 10 years. If you have other risk factors, your doctor may recommend a screen sooner.
The ACG continues to strongly recommend CRC screening between 50 and 75 years of age, and starting screening at 45 years of age is conditionally recommended. Between 1974 and 2013, CRC...
Mar 1, 2024 · Not sure if you need to get a colonoscopy? If you’re at average risk, new guidelines recommend that you get your first one at age 45 to help screen and prevent colorectal cancer.
Jun 12, 2024 · The US Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) recommends that adults age 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer. The decision to be screened between ages 76 and 85 should be made on an individual basis. If you are older than 75, talk to your doctor about screening.
